
Community identification
Pseudoscorpion
Chelifer cancroides
- Order & Family
- Order: Pseudoscorpiones; Family: Cheliferidae
- Size
- 2 to 8 mm in length.
Natural Habitat
Leaf litter, under bark, in soil, and indoors in bookshelves or bathrooms.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; feeds on small arthropods like carpet beetle larvae, mites, booklice, and flies.
Behavior Patterns
Solitary predators that use silk to build nests for molting and raising young; they often hitch rides on larger insects (phoresy).
Risks & Benefits
Beneficial to humans as they prey on household pests; they are harmless to people and lack a stinging tail.